WHY START GARDEN AND SEAMLESS?

The Information Technology Industry in Michigan is inclining rapidly. Many sources celebrate Grand Rapids as one of the top four leading cities in the US for per capita job growth, naming technology innovation as the center of this development. At Start Garden, we once thought a startup ecosystem needed a strong research university to spin out new technologies. But today, as we’ve come to understand the manufacturing industry located in our own backyard, we see how complex and resource intensive it is to build a global enterprise that ships actual stuff. We’ve changed our mind.

It is inevitable that technologists must work with global enterprise companies when it comes to building and shipping physical products at scale. The infrastructure and domain expertise needed is too costly to duplicate.

Photo of Steelcase Wood Plant, located in Caledonia, Michigan. The first LEED certified manufacturing facility in the nation ships more than 22,000 units of furniture a month. Raw materials are delivered pre-sorted per order by suppliers, they’re fabricated into furniture and loaded onto trucks that depart for distributers all over North America. Raw materials are delivered and finished orders shipped every two hours.

Seamless isn’t really a startup accelerator as much as it is a commercialization program for technologies that must be integrated into the built environment. A Consortium of global enterprises actually run the program. Start Garden’s role is more of manager and investor. Amway (home goods), Faurecia (automotive interiors), Meijer Stores (retail environment), Priority Heath & Spectrum Health (a fully integrated insurer and healthcare provider with 22,500 staff & 1,500 physicians) and Steelcase (office environments) work alongside startups to provide unprecedented access into their innovation strategies and market channel.

We present to you, Seamless IoT Commercialization Program.

Get more updates from the 12-week IoT commercialization program by connecting with Seamless on social media: @SeamlessIoT on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

SIX OF MICHIGAN’S LARGEST PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CORPORATIONS TO COLLABORATE WITH START GARDEN TO CREATE INTERNET OF THINGS ACCELERATOR

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 26, 2015 — Steelcase, Amway, Faurecia, Meijer, Spectrum Health and Priority Health have joined Start Garden, the unconventional, early-stage, venture capital fund, to announce the Seamless Coalition and Accelerator, a first-of-its kind collaboration which will bring the enterprises together with startups and entrepreneurs to create the next generation of connected devices.

Dubbed the “Internet of Things” (IoT), this next generation of connected objects and “things” is estimated to have a potential impact of $2-14 trillion on the global economy by 2020. A recent study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers found, one in every six businesses is planning to roll out an IoT-based product, and more than 75 percent of corporate enterprises are exploring how to use IoT to improve their operations.

The Seamless Accelerator program will provide enterprises with collaborative, light weight, low friction access to emerging technologies and businesses in a region that has quietly manufactured much of the physical spaces and objects encountered in today’s built environment. At the same time, it will provide startups with unprecedented access to intellectual and commercialization capital.

“As soon as a startup adds building physical things to building digital things, it takes a step into a very different world of facilities, global supply chains, and market channel relationships,” Jim Keane, CEO of Steelcase. “The Seamless Accelerator and Coalition merges the best from startup culture and enterprise experience in order to bring to market innovations for our physical environment.”

Startups often possess the right model and offerings to capitalize on emerging trends, but lack the access to scale them quickly and efficiently, especially with manufacturing physical objects. Conversely, enterprises have vast insight and quantification regarding the problems and the value of solving them. However, if the solution lies outside the company’s current core business model they struggle to launch sustainable solutions.

Start Garden will provide a neutral ground for financial, intellectual and social capital to converge from non-competing enterprises working with each other and startups, hosting activity within its new, 16,000 sq.ft. “neighborhood” for the regional startup community. Companies participating in the Seamless Coalition to create the IoT ecosystem include:

“A successful ecosystem is not just made of entrepreneurs and investors, but made of people at established companies who want the creation of new value that startups do best. Grand Rapids is uniquely prepared for Seamless because of our deeply interconnected enterprises,” said Rick DeVos, CEO of Start Garden. “Knowing solutions starts with understanding a problem, and corporations opening their intelligence to startups with new ideas will inform all of us on the capabilities we need and the types of innovations to pursue.”

The Seamless Accelerator will consist of a three-month program, operating in semi-annual cycles, with ten startups working in each cycle. Participants will receive direct access to enterprise leaders working in their field of manufacturing and design, seed capital, as well as the resources of strategic vendor partners.

Seamless is currently seeking its first class of startups specializing in product, technology, data, materials and service companies from all over the world. The goal of the accelerator is to focus on solutions that improve how physical environment can better serve people. Seamless Accelerator is a member of TechStars Global Accelerator Network (GAN). Additional details on TechStars GAN, is available at www.gan.co.

Applications for the Seamless Accelerator program will open on March 27, 2015. Members of the Seamless Coalition will be intimately involved in the selection process. Additional information is available at www.seamlessaccel.com.

About Start Garden
Start Garden is an unconventional venture capital fund, incubator and accelerator, which brings together financial, intellectual and social capital to entrepreneurs by connecting them to resources critical to their growth-stage. Start Garden is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it is founded by Rick DeVos who’s past projects included ArtPrize, 5x5 Night, Momentum and Spout.com.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., August 28, 2014 – Roomations, an online platform that crowdsources interior designers to make custom room design easy and accessible to everyone, today received an additional $20,000 investment from Start Garden, the $15,000,000 seed fund based in Grand Rapids, Mich. The announcement was made during the fund’s monthly Update Night.

Roomations, which received a $5,000 initial investment from Start Garden on May 29, brings together homeowners with expert interior designers through an entirely online process. Homeowners complete a simple quiz, answering questions about personal style and total project budget. After that initial step, several designers put together a styleboard that represents the individual tastes of the homeowner and the recommended products for the room. After a user selects a design, the designer provides a custom 3D room design and a shopping list.

“Roomations is hassle-free management of interior design, without time-wasting home visits or appointments,” said Katie Miller, founder of Roomations. “Homeowners can redesign entire rooms in fewer than ten days.”

Miller used the initial $5,000 investment to prove that her Roomations idea was desirable, feasible and viable during a 90-day experiment. Her tests included two promotional tactics, including a referral campaign and a sponsored blog/influencer campaign.

“We were impressed at your disciplined approach to run tests in the market, find out what was or wasn’t working and then iterate from there” said Kim Pasquino, portfolio manager at Start Garden. “We think this idea has a ton of potential, differing ways to monetize it, and we are excited to proceed with a $20,000 investment. We have confidence that if it can be figured out, this team will do it.”

Update Night provides social accountability to the Start Garden ecosystem. Entrepreneurs are required to present their experiment in three minutes before a live audience, and receive feedback from members of the Start Garden team. Teams that received $5,000 discuss their key learnings to prove whether it was viable, desirable and feasible. Portfolio companies updating on their $20,000 or greater investments explain where they are after nearly a year in the Start Garden ecosystem.

Start Garden heard from five additional companies, all $5,000 experiments that did not proceed to the next level of investment, during the August Update Night. These include:

Folyo - E-commerce platform connecting art students with the art world

Networkingout - LinkedIn for health/wellness with a collaborative user experience

The Start Garden management team accepts ideas with potential to become businesses through startgarden.com. Each week the Start Garden team selects an idea and the broader community on the website endorses another idea to receive $5,000. Start Garden can continue to invest up to $500,000 in a single idea. Learn more about submission criteria at startgarden.com/help/criteria.

The next Start Garden Update Night will take place Thursday, September 25. Learn more about Start Garden events at startgarden.com/events.

About Start Garden
Start Garden is an unconventional venture capital fund that invests in more than a hundred ideas a year in small increments. To date, it has invested more than $6 million into startup companies. The program brings financial, intellectual and social capital to ideas at the earliest stage by connecting them to the resources of an entire region. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it is founded by Rick DeVos whose past projects included ArtPrize, 5x5 Night, Momentum and Spout.com.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. June 30, 2014 – Fifty Louis Street, Start Garden’s downtown hub for entrepreneurs, will be closed from July 2 at noon through July 4th in observance of the Independence Day holiday.

The holiday break kicks off a four-week hiatus from its weekly investment decisions, monthly updates and education classes. Submissions will remain open, but a $5K decision will not be made until July 31st at noon. The 50 Louis space will be open normal business hours in July, and Advisor Hours will continue on Tuesday afternoons.

Its full schedule will return on Wednesday, August 6. In the meantime, they are devoting attention to the growth of their portfolio companies—those investments of $20,000 or greater.

Additional detail about Start Garden and its upcoming programming can be found at startgarden.com.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., February 27, 2013 -- Start Garden, the $15,000,000 seed fund that selects individual ideas each week for investments, and opportunities for further investment, tonight held their monthly Update Night at 50 Louis St. Among the four companies vying for the next level of investment, the Start Garden team chose A2B Bikeshare, a company providing communities with hardware and software for automated bike rentals or bikeshares, to recieve $20,000 in additional funding.

A2B Bikeshare, created by Ansgar Strother, is a "Smart Bike - Dumb Rack" solution. Since all the technology is on the bike, it doesn't have to be locked up at a central kiosk for rental. Users can pay using technology on the bike, which can in turn be locked anywhere. The hardware and software combination includes a touch screen secured between the bike's handlebars, giving users access to an easy rental process, and features like navigational maps, guided tours, and points of interests during their ride. GPS on the bikes tracks location and system status at all times.

"Bike sharing programs are rapidly growing throughout the U.S. which is a good thing, but it means A2B Bikeshare has their work cut out for them because their competitors have a head start," said Joe Lampen, controller at Start Garden. "We think their solution to reduce obstacles to market entry is a strong competitive advantage. So yes, we're pleased to provide additional funding for their next round."

In addition to its $5,000 investments, Start Garden invited two entrepreneurs funded at $20,000 or greater to present on the status of their projects before a live audience. These include:

Social accountability is essential to the Start Garden program. Entrepreneurs are required by Start Garden to present their experiment during a monthly Update Night. Teams that recieved a $5,000 discuss their key learnings and prove whether it was viable, desirable and feasible. Teams that received $20,000 explain where they are after nearly a year in the Start Garden ecosystem.

During Update Night, teams have three minutes to present before a live audience and explain how the money was used to complete an experiment that proved their idea is desirable, feasible or viable. Following the presentations, a panel of advisors discusses each project and announces which projects Start Garden will continue to invest in.

Three additional entrepreneurs presented during Start Garden's February Update Night, but did not proceed to the next level of investment. These include:

Guest Edge: a membership site filling seats for shows, concerts, and events

OneBowl: a microwave-safe single serving bowl with a built-in strainer

The Start Garden management team accepts ideas with potential to become businesses through startgarden.com. Each week the Start Garden team selects one idea to recieve $5,000, with the broader community endorsing ideas they feel should recieve the investment. Start Garden can continue to invest up to $500,000 in a single idea. Learn more about submission criteria at startgarden.com/help/criteria.

The next Start Garden Update Night will take place Thursday, March 27. Learn more about Start Garden events at startgarden.com/events.

About Start Garden

Start Garden is an unconventional venture capital fund that invests in more than a hundred ideas a year in small increments. The program brings financial, intellectual and social capital to ideas at the earliest stage by connecting them to the resources of an entire region. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it is founded by Rick DeVos who's past projects included ArtPrize, 5X5 Night, Momentum and Spout.com.

Are you a tech - saavy individual with a felxible schedule looking for an internship? Start Garden is searching for a person with experience producing live stream content of our workshops and events.

If you're interested, read on to find out how to apply.

Video Production Intern

Start Garden is an unconventional venture capital fund that invests in over a hundred ideas a year in small increments. The program brings financial, intellectual and social capital to ideas at the earliest stage by connecting them to the resources of an entire region. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it is founded by Rick DeVos whose past projects include ArtPrize, 5x5 Night, Momentum and Spout.com.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Start Garden Video Production Internship opportunity offers a multi-faceted, hands-on experience with a unique organization and team. The role of Intern includes but is not limited to producing video, podcasts, and live stream content of Start Garden workshops & events. Monitoring social media during live streamed workshops and moderate questions between online participants and guest speakers. Editing and uploading content to the Start Garden YouTube and UStream channels. Troubleshooting technology issues.

SCHEDULE
Start Garden classes usually take place 1 to 3 evenings per week (5:00 to 8:00) and 2 afternoons per month. Additional classes could be added. Editing/Content Management can take place off site if necessary. Flexibility of schedule is needed.

COMPENSATION
Part-time (10 to 15 hours per week). Hourly rate: $9.00, not to exceed stipend of $720.00 a month.

HOW TO APPLY
Interested applicants should send a resume, and any other materials you feel would help us get to know you better to kelsey@startgarden.com by January 27, 2014. Interviews will begin the week of February 2nd. Start date will be mid to late February.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., December 20, 2013 -- Start Garden, the $15,000,000 seed fund that selects individual ideas each week for investments, and opportunities for further investment, tonight held their monthly Update Night at 50 Louis St. Entrepreneurs funded at $5,000 and $20,000 levels presented before a live audience to update the public on their experiment and status. Silikids, which makes silicone accessories for children, received $170,000 in additional funding.

Social accountability is essential to the Start Garden program. Entrepreneurs are required by Start Garden to present their experiment during a monthly Update Night. Teams that received a $5,000 discuss their key learnings and prove whether it was viable, desirable and feasible. Teams that received $20,000 explain where they are after nearly a year in the Start Garden ecosystem.

Stacey Feeley, CEO of Silikids, maker of silicone accessories for children, presented on the company’s new product lines, in addition to its national sales and distribution expansion with test marketing at Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby. Start Garden announced they will invest an additional $170,000 into Silikids, bringing their total investment in the company to $255,000.

“The recent children’s companies that are backing Silikids demonstrates that our investment is in line with the trending that is happening in the market,” said Rick DeVos, CEO of Start Garden. “Stacey and her co-founder, Giuliana Schwab, have moved Silikids a significant distance in the market in less than a year. They have proven that they are the right people to create a strong sales and distribution network and move their idea forward.”

Four entrepreneurs presented during Start Garden’s December Update Night, but did not proceed to the next level of investment. These include:

“The $5,000 investment is all about experimenting, finding a market and proving an idea is desirable, feasible or viable,” said Paul Moore, communications director at Start Garden. “While these experiments didn’t have a strong result, it is our expectation that the work they did will help each team find a new direction.”

During Update Night, teams have three minutes to present before a live audience and explain how the money was used to complete an experiment that proved their idea is desirable, feasible or viable. Following the presentations, a panel of advisors discusses each project and announces which projects Start Garden will continue to invest in.

The Start Garden management team accepts ideas with potential to become businesses through startgarden.com. Each week the Start Garden team selects an idea with input from the broader community to receive $5,000. Start Garden can continue to invest up to $500,000 in a single idea. Learn more about submission criteria at startgarden.com/help/criteria.

The next Start Garden Update Night will take place Thursday, January 23. Learn more about Start Garden events at startgarden.com/events.

About Start Garden
Start Garden is an unconventional venture capital fund that invests in more than a hundred ideas a year in small increments. The program brings financial, intellectual and social capital to ideas at the earliest stage by connecting them to the resources of an entire region. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it is founded by Rick DeVos who’s past projects included ArtPrize, 5x5 Night, Momentum and Spout.com.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., December 5, 2013 -- Start Garden, the $15,000,000 seed fund that selects an individual idea each week to receive a $5,000 investment, based on endorsements from the public and the Start Garden team, today announced OneBowl, a microwave-safe, single-serve bowl with a built-in strainer.

OneBowl is designed to allow the user to cook, strain, eat and store their food all with one product. It is ideal for meals like noodles, rinsing fruit, or just an everyday cereal bowl. A simple lever converts OneBowl from a bowl into a functional strainer, all while keeping its users hands at a safe distance from any hot liquids and reducing the number of dirty dishes in the kitchen.

Justin Herd, inventor of OneBowl, will use the $5,000 investment from Start Garden to create a working prototype and test with his target market, college students.

“There are 13.6 million college students in the U.S. and two million incoming, frugal, budget-conscious freshmen every year living in a residence hall with only a microwave. OneBowl will also have a snap-on lid for refrigerator storage and on-the-go meals, which is convenient for college students and families,” said Herd. “With plastic injection molding, we can make 120,000 bowls/month with one tool. We also see a future in scaling to a larger size serving bowl with a built-in strainer for families.”

OneBowl was selected through the endorsement of the public and selection of the Start Garden team. The Start Garden management team accepts submissions through startgarden.com. Ideas with potential to become businesses can be submitted. Start Garden can continue to invest up to $500,000 in a single idea. Learn more about submission criteria at startgarden.com/help/criteria.

The next round of $5,000 investments will be announced Thursday, December 12, after the noon deadline. The next Update Night is Thursday, December 19. Learn more about Start Garden events at startgarden.com/events.

About Start Garden
Start Garden is an unconventional venture capital fund that invests in over a hundred ideas a year in small increments. The program brings financial, intellectual and social capital to ideas at the earliest stage by connecting them to the resources of an entire region. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it is founded by Rick DeVos who’s past projects included ArtPrize, 5x5 Night, Momentum and Spout.com.

START GARDEN ANNOUNCES $40,000 IN FUNDING
FOR HOME APPRAISER, SCHOOL GIFT PROGRAM,

Expands Update Night to Include Second Step Investment Updates

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., November 21, 2013 -- Start Garden, the $15,000,000 seed fund that selects individual ideas each week for investments, and opportunities for further investment, tonight held their monthly Update Night at 50 Louis St. Among the four companies vying for the next level of investment, the Start Garden team chose Appraisal150, an online home appraisal service, and Elf Factory, a holiday school program specializing in handmade gifts for parents, to receive $20,000 in additional funding.

In addition to its $5,000 investments, Start Garden invited entrepreneurs funded at $20,000 or greater to present on the status of their projects before a live audience. Sitting in a Tree, started by Laura Vaughn, which creates custom wedding websites, and Break Away Coupling, a fishing lure that is designed to break at a specific rate of tension designed by Miles Smith.

Social accountability is essential to the Start Garden program. Entrepreneurs are required by Start Garden to present their experiment during a monthly Update Night. Teams that received a $5,000 discuss their key learnings and prove whether it was viable, desirable and feasible. Teams that received $20,000 explain where they are after nearly a year in the Start Garden ecosystem.

During Update Night, teams have three minutes to present before a live audience and explain how the money was used to complete an experiment that proved their idea is desirable, feasible or viable. Following the presentations, a panel of advisors discusses each project and announces which projects Start Garden will continue to invest in.

Appraisal150, created by Scott Packer, is an online network of independent licensed appraisers. Coordinating through its website, the appraisal process—ordering, delivery and scheduling—is automated, reducing the time and cutting overhead costs by more than 50 percent. Furthermore, the homeowner is in charge throughout the process.

“The appraisal industry hasn’t been rethought in a long time and often when an entrepreneur rethinks an entrenched market or process and finds they are on to something, it can draw some opposition. Appraisal150 seems to have lit a fire in the industry,” said Kim Pasquino, portfolio relations for Start Garden. “We see the biggest challenge with Appraisal150 is scaling this project quickly. We have confidence in Scott, based on his execution so far, to make it happen and we are please to provide further funding.”

Elf Factory, created by Kirsten Morian Field, is a turnkey program that is designed to replace a school’s holiday gift program, which often includes inexpensive items that children often feel compelled to purchase. Under the Elf Factory model, children make their gifts versus buying them.

“This problem was identified from Kirsten’s personal experience with her children’s schools. It’s an idea that is definitely under the radar, but the experiment showed that the idea can grow,” said Rick DeVos, CEO of Start Garden. “The Elf Factory model appears replicable, but it needs to extend beyond the founder’s involvement. We are eager to see if this will happen, so it is a yes for additional funding.”

Two additional entrepreneurs presented during Start Garden’s November Update Night, but did not proceed to the next level of investment. These include:

The Start Garden management team accepts ideas with potential to become businesses through startgarden.com. Each week the Start Garden team selects an idea and the broader community on the website endorses another idea to receive $5,000. Start Garden can continue to invest up to $500,000 in a single idea. Learn more about submission criteria at startgarden.com/help/criteria.

The next Start Garden Update Night will take place Thursday, December 19. Learn more about Start Garden events at startgarden.com/events.

About Start Garden
Start Garden is an unconventional venture capital fund that invests in more than a hundred ideas a year in small increments. The program brings financial, intellectual and social capital to ideas at the earliest stage by connecting them to the resources of an entire region. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it is founded by Rick DeVos who’s past projects included ArtPrize, 5x5 Night, Momentum and Spout.com.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., November 21, 2013 -- Start Garden, the $15,000,000 seed fund that selects individual ideas each week for investments, today announced Rani’s Yummy Granola, a 100 percent natural “on-the-go snack pack,” and Guest Edge LLC, a company that has paid members getting tickets to shows, concerts and sporting events all for free.

The Start Garden management team accepts ideas with potential to become businesses through startgarden.com. Each week the Start Garden team selects an idea to receive $5,000. Start Garden can invest in multiple ideas in a given week, and continue to invest up to $500,000 into a single idea.

Ann Arbor-based Rani’s Yummy Granola, which is currently in stores, is the only loose granola product currently offered in the sport bar section, competing against Cliff Bars and other convenience sport foods. The company offers 13 flavors in a distinctly convenient packaging that allows the consumer to easily eat with one hand, eliminating sticky hands and crumbs.

“Rani’s is easy to open, carry, and to eat. We believe it is the first granola snack pack on the market to be offered in such a unique and convenient package,” said Rani Bookvich, creator of Rani’s Yummy Granola. “We believe Rani’s Yummy has the potential to open up national distribution for both the wholeseller and retailer.”

Bookvich will use the $5,000 Start Garden investment to purchase sample packs for promoting her product at the store level and will also do in store demos at each location where her product is sold.

Guest Edge creator Ryan Gauthier describes his idea as combination of Fillaseat.com and Groupon. Filaseat.com, which quickly sells unsold tickets to shows and sporting events, is based in Las Vegas and was Gauthier’s first startup company. Building off this idea, Guest Edge members get exclusive access tickets to shows, concerts, and sporting events all for free.

“Gone are the days of people listening to radio commercials, television commercials, and participating in surveys for tickets. We are aware of this and with Start Garden’s help, could be tremendously ahead of everyone else,” says Gauthier. “We are unique in so many ways. One of which is that we allow an extra 4 days for ticket sales and include an event such as a museum visit or a fun night at a wine bar.”

Gauthier says the $5,000 Start Garden investment will go toward finalizing his website and doing final soft runs. He believes this initial investment would make Guest Edge into a company that can start selling tickets to the public very quickly.

Start Garden invests in ideas that can become businesses. The next round of $5,000 investments will be announced Thursday, November 27th. The next Update Night is Thursday, December 19. Learn more about Start Garden events at startgarden.com/events.

About Start Garden
Start Garden is an unconventional venture capital fund that invests in more than a hundred ideas a year in small increments. The program brings financial, intellectual and social capital to ideas at the earliest stage by connecting them to the resources of an entire region. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it is founded by Rick DeVos who’s past projects included ArtPrize, 5x5 Night, Momentum and Spout.com.